Tire-inflation mechanism.



fi jz g/i 14 1% i Witnesses [him lnventof' PatentedMay 21, 1912.

ROYAL L. FOSTER, OF FORT RILEY, KANSAS,

TIRE-INFLATION MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 21, 1912.

' Application filed November 26, 1910. Serial No. 594,350.

To all whom it may concern:

Be itknown that I, ROYAL L. FOSTER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Fort Riley, in the county of Geary and State of Kansas, have invented a new and useful Tire-Inflation Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

'It is the object of this invention, broadly speaking, to provide .a transfer of novel construction, supplying air immediately to the tires of vehicle wheels.

Viththe foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention-resides in the combination and arrangementof parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the, precise embodiment of invention herein disclosed can be made with in the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a fragmental sect-ion of one of the wheels of the vehicle,

showing the manner in which the transfer is mounted upon the wheel and its supporting axle; Fig. 2 is an elevation of one of the wheels, parts being broken away; and Fig. 3 is a section of the transfer, enlarged from Fig. 1.

In the drawings, a movable axle end is shown at 6, the tire, being'denoted by the numeral 8.

its transfer mechanism, will suflice for all.

The walls of the inner, spoke-supported member 10 inclosed by the walls of the outer annular member 12. To the edges of the inner annular member 10, flexible valvestrips 14 are secured, as clearly seen in Fig. 3, these valves being adapted tobea-r against the inner face of the outer annular member 12, to avoid a leakage ofv air between the members 10 and 12. The outer annular member 12 is supported by means of a. spider 15, upon the movable axle end 6. The construction of the device is such that The numeral 9, denotes the spokes of thethe inner member 10 of the transfer rotates with the wheel, the outer member 12 of the transfer being rigidly held upon the axle end 6, by means of the spider 15. A pipe lGleads from the inner member 10 of the transfer, to the tire 8 this pipe 16 preferably passing through the folly of the wheel. Another pipe 17 leads from the outer mem ber 12 of the transfer, to the air supply.

In practical operation, the trough-shaped secondary member 10 will rotate within the primary trough-shaped member 12, the secondary member 10 moving with the wheel, and the primary member l2 being fixed upon the axle 6, by the spider 15. Air will besupplied within the transfer mechanism, through the instrumentality of the pipe 17, and by way of'the pipe 16, the air will find its way from. the transfer into the tire 8. The members 10 and 12 have relative transverse movement, since the side walls of the member 12 arev spaced from the spokes 9, the side walls of the, member 10 being spaced from the end wall of the member 12, as Fig. 3 will clearly show. Thus, any inequalities resulting from an improper fit of the wheel upon theaxle, will be accommodated. Owing to the fact that the valve strips 14 are curved, so as to lie against the end wall of the primary member 12, an unusually tight joint is effected, the construction being such that when there is fluid Moreover, owing to the fact thatthe valve strips 1 1 are curvedso as to lie against the end wall of the member l2, transverse movement between the members 10 and 12, will not be interfered with, by the presence of the valve strips. 7

'ltlav'ing thus described the invention, what is claimed isa- The combination with an axle and a wheel thereon, having spokes and a rim, of a spider secured to the axle; an annular,

trough-shaped primary member-secured to the extremities of the spider; an annular, trough-shaped secondary member fitting within the primary member for rotation and .for transverse movement; clips securing the secondary member to the spokes; flexible valve strips secured each along one edge of the side walls of the secondary member and curved to lie at their free edges against the end wall of the primary member; a pipe entering the end wall of the secondary mem her and extended through the rim, into the tire; and a pipe entering the end Wall of the rimary'member, and ada ted for con- 5 nection with a source of uid pressure supply.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing RQYAL L. FOSTER.

Witnesses: I

CHARLES E. KLEPPER, ALBERT E. Ross. 

